Cut-off for down-spouts or conductors.



T. B. BURGERT. GUT-OFF FOR DOWN SPOUTS OR OONDUCTORS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909.

949,972. Patented Feb. 22, 1.910.

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THOMAS B. BURGERT, OF GALION, OHIO.

CUT-OFF FGR DOWN-SPOUTS OR CONDUCTORS.

Application filed June 21, 1909.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Feb. 22, 1910.

Serial No. 503.319.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tiioai'as B. Scanner, citizen of the United States, residing at- Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cut-Offs for Downspouts 01' Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cut-offs for down spouts or conductors, and the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as shown and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line a;-.r, 52. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cut-off proper. and Fig. is a cross section of Fig. 4 on line 'yy. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a cut-off without the screen chamber but otherwise similarly constructed.

The invention as thus shown and described, as the title indicates, is adapted to be employed at the bottom of a down spout for water from the roofs of buildings to direct the water either to waste channels or to a cistern or reservoir. Of course, I am aware that devices adapted to accomplish this purpose are not now new and patentable in any broad sense because adjustable cut-offs have been used heretofore in one form or another for the same purpose, and I do not therefore claim to be the first and original inventor of an adjustable cut-oft" for water spouts adapted to directthe water into differentchannels of escape, but I am not aware that any one has made a cut-off having the peculiarities and advantages of construction which are embodied. in my invention and as will presently be seen.

Referring now more specifically to the parts of the device, A represents the casing or shell and G the cut-off proper. The said casing is shown as of greater length than width and of suitable depth to enable the cutoff to swing therein into closing position upon one side or the other according as either outlet- 2 or 3 in the bottom thereof is to be used. Now referring to F igs. 1%, the outlet 2 may also be described as being located in the rear of the casing and outlet 3 substantially in the middle thereof, while the casing has a forward projection from said outlet 3 with a preferably curved bottom f running up to a lid L which closes over the top thereof and in advance of the inlet 5 thereto for the down spout. Said inlet is located relatively one-half over or above each of the two outlets 2 and 8 respectively, and the cut-off C is arranged in respect to said inlet so as to extend back heneath the same in an inclined position of about 4-5 degrees so as to intercept whatever down flow of water there may be and direct or divert same to the discharge opening to which it is arranged or set for the time being. Thus, in Fig. 2, said cut-oft is shown as closing the outlet 2 and in position to direct the inflowing water to outlet 8, while the reverse position is shown in dotted lines, in which outlet 3 is closed and 2 is open. Now, it is more particularly in connection with the said cut-off C as a member or part of the device that the first part of my invention is located, and this also is an important part thereof because it not only affords perfect control of the cut-off by the operator, but provides a construction which is highly advantageous in other particulars. F or example, heretofore all cut-offs with which I am familiar have had means for controlling them arranged upon the outside of the casing and attached by solder or other insuflicient means. Usually a handle has been employed for this purpose which had a soldered connection with a projection fixed to the cut-off itself inside the casing and which extended through the wall of the easing and had the handle affixed thereto by solder or the like as stated. But the objection to this and similar fastenings for the handle has been that the point of the connection with solder or the like was rendered inherently weak and liable to be broken, thus depriving the device of means for controlling the cut-off and rendering it inoperative. I therefore have overcome this manifest defeet of construction by making a handle H integral with the body of the cut-off itself relatively as shown in Fig. 4-. Of course these devices are made of sheet metal and preferably of galvanized metal or tin, and the cut-off C is struck up or fashioned with -its two opposite ears 7 and 8 at right angles position as to both holes 2 and 3. Then in order that the said handle may not only be available for tilting the cut-off, but that it may also have rigidity and strength I lay a strip 10 of metal or its equivalent on the inner side thereof within the enfolding flanges 71. Said piece 10 preferably extends down across the pivot opening or hole 12 of the cut-off to carry the strength thereof across a possible breaking point. By this original construction I avoid absolutely all risk of being without a good operating handle as long as the device itself endures, and thus one of the most serious objections to the old time cut-off devices is overcome and remedied and the device as a whole materially improved.

Having shifted or swung the cut-off over either outlet it is desirable to hold the same in that position by some definite means, and while various and different means may be employed for this purpose, as is obvious, I prefer to use a suitable spring, one form of which is shown at D. In this instance, the said spring consists in a spring wire loop fixed at its ends to casing A. and adapted to hear at its intermediate portion against handle H to hold the same within either of the side and end notches 1a of slot 9. A lateral pressure against handle H will carry said handle out of the notch into the main portion of slot 9 and permit the handle to be shifted to the other notch 14:. A spiral spring suitably arranged would serve the same purpose.

lVhen the water is directed, say to a cis tern or other reservoir where cleanliness is important, it is desirable that the water should be screened from rubbish, such as leaves and the like, that might be carried down the spout. To this end the device is provided with a screen S over outlet 8 and which also extends forward over a portion of the rounded bottom l so that there will be plenty of screen surface to accommodate the maximum rush of water through the device. The lid L is arranged over said screen, as shown, and thus I can easily enter to remove any accumulations that may gather there and cleanliness is promoted accordingly, and furthermore, said screen may be bodily removed through the lid opening. Pivot rivets 1.6, or their equivalent are employed for hanging the cut-off in the sides of the casing. Screen S has a downturned portion 17 at one end to rest upon the bottom of the casing midway between outlets 2 and 3. A cross wall 18 is also used at this point to subdivide the easing into two chambers, especially below the level of the screen. Obviously, the screen might rest upon cross wall 18.

In Fig. 6, I show a modified form of cutoff casing with the screen chamber and screen omitted, but the cut-off C, handle H and slot and spring arrai'igement for the handle is the same in every detail as hereinbefore described.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A cut-off device for down-spouts comprising a casing having an inlet and a plurality of outlets, a cut-off member having ears at right angles to the body thereof and pivoted in the sides of said casing and adapted to swing and close either of said outlets and to open the other, the said casing having a longitudinal slot in its top and a handle integral with one of said ears projecting through said slot.

2. In cut-off devices for down-spouts, a casing having an inlet in its top and outlets in its bottom, a cut-off having upturned sides pivoted at their top in said casing and said cut-oil adapted to swing therein and provided with a handle integral with one side thereof and extending through the top of said casing above the pivot point of said cut-off, and a spring adapted to frictionally engage'said handle in any adjusted position.

3. A cut-oft device for down spouts comprising a casing having two outlets at its bottom and an extension at its front end with a lid over the top thereof, a screen in said front end beneath said lid and covering one of said outlets, and a pivoted cut-elf adapted to direct the water onto said screen to the opening beneath the same.

4. A cut-off device for down-spouts comprising a casing having an inletopening and a longitudinal slot with side and end notches at its top and two outlets at its bottom, in combination with a cutoff pivoted within said casing having a handle projecting through said slot adapted to be moved back and forth therein from notch to notch and a spring adapted to frictionally hold said handle in said notches.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS B. BURGERT.

Witnesses E. M. FISHER, F. C. MUSSUN. 

